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GA SB493

Bill

Status

Engrossed

3/12/2020

Primary Sponsor

Bruce Thompson

Click for details

Origin

Senate

2019-2020 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Establishes a legal safe harbor allowing businesses ("covered entities") to assert an affirmative defense against tort claims arising from data breaches of personal information, provided they maintain a written cybersecurity program with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards that reasonably conforms to an industry-recognized framework
  • Defines "personal information" to include names combined with Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, financial account numbers, passwords, student records, and medical information when not encrypted or redacted
  • Requires that a qualifying cybersecurity program be scaled appropriately based on the entity's size, complexity, nature of activities, data sensitivity, available tools, and resources
  • Provides an alternative path to the affirmative defense: a covered entity may qualify if it received a certification of adherence to a recognized security standard from an independent security assessment firm within 12 months prior to the breach
  • Does not create a minimum cybersecurity standard or impose liability on businesses that do not comply; intended solely to incentivize voluntary adoption of stronger cybersecurity practices, with an effective date of July 1, 2020

Legislative Description

Selling and Other Trade Practices; legislative findings; standards for cybersecurity programs to protect businesses from liability; provide

Last Action

House Second Readers

6/15/2020

Full Bill Text

No bill text available